Never Quit Fitness

Sooooooo happy to have some cooler weather so that walking outside doesn't feel like you're walking in an actual furnace 🥵

My skin doesn't tan well anyway, but what little skin that isn't tattooed was white as a ghost like I'd been stuck inside all winter 🤣

Since it feels like I've been stuck inside all summer, one of my September targets is to average 15k steps a day.

I've noticed I stay a lot leaner and my mind stays a lot clearer when I get my steps in the 12-15k range, so we're gonna shoot for 15k and feel pretty damn good about it either way 😉

What are some goals or targets you have set for September??

And are they specific??

Or is it something like, "I'm gonna lose some weight and get in shape." 🤷‍♂️

Well that's real cute Champ, but how you gonna do that??

If you need help filling in the blank, DM's are open 📥😉

So many people talk about wanting to make a life change, then proceed to spend their time and money in the same ol' places.

Wanna quit drinkin, but still headed to happy hour for "just a couple" before you head home...

Wanna get in shape, but don't get a gym membership OR get one and never go...

Wanna lose some weight, but still fill your grocery cart up w the same old 💩 that got you in the position in the first place...

"But it's for the kids"... don't even get me started on the childhood obesity rate (over 60%) and the number of those kids that remain overweight into adulthood (over 80%!!!).

Make it make sense 😑

Nothing changes until YOU do.

The time you wake up ⏰

What you read 🤓

Weekly grocery haul 🥩🥦

How you move 🚶🏋️‍♂️🏃🏾

When you sleep 😴

If you’re looking to make a healthy change for the better, start with this list 👆and see where you are…

…you probably already know what needs to change the most, but it helps our brains understand it when we see it a different way 👀

Once you have your list, pick ONE thing to do that day.

That’s it. Pretty simple 🤷‍♂️

Start small… one thing at a time…don’t overthink it… take a deep breath…

…time to MOVE.

If you want different, gotta do different 👊

Honesty.

The biggest game changer there is.

My life made a HUGE turnaround once I came to terms with these 4 things about myself:

1) All of my problems are MY fault 🙋‍♂️

2) They were almost always not as bad as they seemed once I stopped running from them and faced them 🙅‍♂️

3) The same problems kept happening bc I was never honest with myself bc the truth was ugly and that made me wrong and we hate to be wrong, right? 😑

It's OK to be wrong. You're not special and neither are your problems. No one is coming to save you and no one is gonna do it for you.

Welcome to the club 😉

Happy Humpday Peeps 🐥

I saw the Halloween themed Oreos yesterday when I was at Kroger, so I figured it was time to break out some Spooky Season gear for casual Fridays at the office 👻😏

I passed by the Oreos and grabbed yogurt and coffee instead 😅

Sometimes I grab the Oreos, but MOST of the time I go for something a lil more healthy 😉

Progress > Perfection

Happy Friday Peeps 🐥

Men, when's the last time you had your oil changed??

Not in your car tho, in your BODY?

Especially if you're on a testosterone supplement 💉💉

By donating blood every two or three months, your body is able to purge some old blood cells which forces your body to make new ones.

I seem to always forget how good I feel after donating blood, until I wait to do it for a month or two then can't figure out why I feel like 💩 and my bones and joints hurt and it's hard to breathe 🥴

How about a massage or chiropractor visit??

It had been PRE-hip replacement for myself on all of the above, and I couldn't figure out why I felt like sh*t!🫠

Well the last two weeks I've seen the chirp twice, gotten a massage, and donated blood.

I feel better than I have since pre hip surgery... who ever would've thought?? 😑

If you don't take the time so your body can heal, it will MAKE you make time one way or the other!

Happy Thursday Peeps 🐥

You are a sum of your habits.

The little things you do every day literally define you as a person.

That’s why when I start working with clients, we start with these small habits rather than trying to overhaul your entire lifestyle all at once!

Things that are EASY to accomplish that ANYONE can do.

BUT YOU HAVE TO DO THE WORK!

Just like my client (pictured) who just completed one of my 8-week online programs.

We tweaked some of her daily food habits and lifted weights 2-3 days a week. Nothing crazy. Simple adjustments that fit in her already hectic lifestyle.

Did I mention she was finishing school, in the middle of an interstate move, and planning a wedding ALL at the same time?!

It doesn't have to be difficult or complicated, most people just make it that way 🤷‍♂️

You're only a few habits away from a whole new life. The only thing standing in your way is🪞

We will have a fall group startling after Labor Day.

If you need additional info or are ready to get started NOW, DM's are always open 📥

Be Great Today 👊

You wanna make progress?

Focus more on life OUTSIDE of the gym.

Sure the gym where you go to get your muscles to grow and release stress and be healthy and all that good stuff…

But the REAL moves, are made the other 23 hours of the day.

The food you eat 🥩🍖🍗

The drinks you drink/don't drink 🍺 🥃🍷

The sleep you do or don’t get 🥱💤😴

Those are the game changers.

Don’t let the hard work you put in get washed away by the decisions you make when you leave!

Have a great Monday peeps 🐥

Nothing in life is guaranteed.

Not tomorrow or next week or when summer’s over and the kids are back in school... which is the excuse most people use to avoid working out in the summer 😉

I see so many men "waiting til the time is right" or "when life slows down" to start getting healthy.

Meanwhile they're getting fatter and more out of shape and each day that passes only makes it more difficult.

Then the divorce/heart attack/job loss/you name it comes along and smacks you across the face and you're standing there with your belly over your belt and your thumb up your butt 😧

Hell it took me 13 arrests and 5 DUI's to finally figure it out, so I'm speaking from experience 🫠

Crazy thing about it tho, you're only ONE good decision away from a totally different life ☝️

You could be a degenerate for 20+ years 🙋‍♂️ and do something different, RIGHT NOW.

What’s it going to take to get YOU to take ACTION?

Health scare? 🩻

Broken marriage? 🙅‍♀️

Prison sentence? 👨‍⚖️

The only thing holding you back is the only thing that's gonna save you 🪞

Don’t wait til it’s too late ⌛️

Be Great Today

The week is won on the weekend…

I say that often, I tell my clients that often.

For soooo many years I would spend my weekends out drinking and partying and staying up late and all kinds of other destructive activities I'd rather not mention here 😉

Monday morning would roll around and my business life would be in the same exact spot it was when I went for happy hour on Friday...
..and then I would wonder why my business wasn't doing any better than it was 🧐

There’s no debating I’m much more productive and get a ton more done when I take some time and plan my week before it gets started...
..not only that, but stress and anxiety also take a back seat when I take time to plan and coordinate the weeks events, instead of taking a day and a half to shake off the cobwebs from the weekend 🫠

Does that mean I get every thing nailed down to a 5 minute window? Or that everything will go as planned?

Not even close.

Sometimes I have no idea how I will accomplish __________, but it doesn’t sneak up on me.

But by planning my week, I know what resistance I already have or am likely to have, and can start thinking of ways to manage it.

How was your Monday morning?

Did you roll out of bed in time to rush to work, put your makeup on in the car, and put out fires for two hours?

Or did you wake up with a with a plan of action, a ton of energy, and ready to conquer the week?

We all get the same 24, how you gonna use yours?

Be Great, Today.

Jake

That twilight moment between awake and passed out at the chiropractor's office when the treatment feels sooooo good you forget where you are and let out a lil toot 😳💨

The world needs more Fridays, coffee, and cats.

Truly blessed to see another day.

Happy Friday Friends 🫶

Create a life you don’t need a vacation from…

Never quite understood what that meant until recently.

I had operated in stress and chaos for so long, that I would mistake peacefulness and happiness for boredom.

Then the stress that I caused myself, from drinking and partying too much, would make me want to drink/smoke/Xanax/ be somewhere else.

Talk about a catch-22 🙄

Breaking that cycle is tough! When we get stressed we trend to go with what we know… and what we know keeps us in the same damn place 🥴

Here’s a few things that helped me go from panicked to peaceful 🧘‍♂️

❇️ Keep your word. I could stop here, as almost everything will hinge off of this ONE point.

It’s the biggest game changer there is, especially if you’re a drinker/addict. People start to know you for your flakiness, then get drunk and feel bad and make a bunch of BS promises you keep for a couple days before you tie another one on and you start the whole process over again. DO WHAT YOU SAID YOU WOULD DO.

❇️ Do what you love! It’s maybe the most underrated thing there is. I see people spend all day at jobs they hate, then sit around and think about it until it’s time to do it again.

Get a pet, get a hobby, do SOMETHING YOU LOVE EVERY DAY!

❇️ Show up for others. Helping others helps me just as much as it does them! Gives a sense of belonging and worth. By showing up for others, others are much more likely to show up for you. 🤜🤛

❇️ Select your circle wisely. If you spend ALL your time with 3 drunks/addicts, you’re about to be number 4 if you’re not already. Surround yourself with people that are growing that want to lift you up with them! 🚀🚀🚀

Have you created a life you need a vacation from? Or a life you RUN HOME TO?

Be Great Today 👊

If you wake up with anxiety every almost every morning, this post is for you 🫵

Having a good morning starts by having a good night.🥱💤🌙😴

📕 Spend a few minutes each night to get an idea of the flow of your upcoming day. A quick look over texts, emails, and anywhere you would keep notes to make sure you have any last minute adjustments to your schedule… it may not go exactly as planned, but you’ll have a good idea of what it’s gonna look like.

⏰ Set your alarm 30 mins earlier than normal. You don’t need a 3 hour morning routine and most of you probably don’t have time for it anyway. If you do great! If not, 30 minutes is plenty to get your body primed and mind right.

👀 Keep your eyes on the prize. Have something you're excited about doing every day on your schedule. Small steps forward daily will equal HUGE progress at the end of the week/month/year.

🛑 Stop stopping! You keep lying to yourself and letting yourself down, which gives you anxiety and low self-esteem bc you never finish anything! There is untold magic on the other side of consistent follow through.

Try implementing these 4 things tonight, and by the end of the week you'll be amazed at how much you got done and much LESS you stressed. 😎

Remember if you want different, gotta do different 👊

Happy Monday peeps 🐥

One of the hardest times when I first stopped drinking was Friday night…

Almost TWO DECADES, the same old story when 5 o’clock hit…

LET’S GET F@&! UP!

Happy Hour then Liquor Store then W**d Man then….. 🥴

So what now? After all that time, what do I do when Friday rolls around?

Well it varies from week to week, but here’s a few of my go-to’s:

🏋️ Work out after work. Instead heading straight to the bar, schedule a workout for AFTER work. Even if you do go out after, you got a lift in before.

💆‍♂️ Self Care. Get a massage or a pedi or both, just opt for sparkling water instead of wine.

🍽️ Dinner date with a sober friend. Having plans with someone that knows about your journey will make it wayyyyy easier to stay on track. You know, ACCOUNTABILITY.

🛵 Non-drinking activities... or activities that would be extremely difficult or even dangerous if you had been drinking! I'm not saying to TO DO anything these things after drinking, but riding a scooter after a few OR while holding one would be quite a task 🤷‍♂️🤣

The most important thing to do, is NOT head the bar or liquor store or beer store right after work!

If you can change the FIRST step after work, it will be easier to change the next and the next and so on and so forth.

Before you know it your weekends will look nothing like they used to…

But first things first…

How are you gonna spend your Friday night?

“Only when we know our darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others.”

- Pema Chödrön

The only reason I am able to help people get out of the deepest depths of their own personal pit, is because I found the way out of mine.

98% of people with an addiction like mine, never make it out 🚫🚫🚫

They may see glimpses of the other side, but a lil less than 2% ever make it past a year...
..if you can make it past year 3, the odds of you relapsing are under 10%. Past year five, under 2%.

I'm in year 4 and not looking back 🚀🚀🚀

If you wanna know how I pulled that off and need some pointers for yourself, my DM's are always open 📥

Happy Humpday Peeps 🐥

It sure is nice being able to remember the weekend…

For almost a decade I would only have pics and videos for memories 📸

Spend over $1000 and have a hangover and some random bumps and bruises to show for it 🤕

I would literally have to scan my pics, videos, call logs, text messages, etc to find out what happened the night before 🥴

But now…

Seeing random people I know and remembering their names AND the conversations we had 💁‍♂️

Not having to wonder who’s next to me when I roll over in the morning 👀🙅‍♂️

Enjoying the weekend and relaxing, and still have time and energy left to prepare for the week 😎

There was a time I didn’t think this would be possible....

That I would be stuck in an endless loop of addiction and anger and loneliness…

20 plus years of the same ol' s**t 💩

Yet here we are 🙌

Even if you got blackout drunk and stoned and high all weekend and you think it’s hopeless….

Been there, done that.

Rode the ride, got the t shirt, and got my picture taken more than once 🫠

But we’re still here.

All that matters is what you do Now.

You still may have to pay for the sins of yesterday, but all that really matters is what you do NOW and NEXT.

What are you gonna do with the TODAY that was provided for you??

If you need some direction finding out what that looks like, shoot me a DM and I'd love to see if I can help.

Be Great Today 👊

If you’re trying to lose weight, and your grocery basket and pantry at home look the same as they did before you started, you’re doing it WRONG.

Now I don’t believe in eliminating things from your diet… 🚫

but if you’re still buying the same things in the same amounts… 🍕🍔🍰

then you’re probably eating the same damn thing! 🫠

If you want a different result, GOTTA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

A complete overhaul can be hard and exhausting in itself, so I recommend ADDING a couple of things you NEED that you weren’t previously getting (like enough protein or a certain fruit or veggie)...
..and cutting back on things that don't provide any nutritional value, like beer, sodas, and candy.

Notice I said cut back instead of cut out.

You’re making the transition easier by adding a couple of things at a time instead of taking a bunch of stuff away! Your brain gets less freaked out because you're not being restrictive all of a sudden.

If you make a couple of adjustments each week, at the end of the month your daily food intake would look wayyy different and be much more healthy!

And it all started with a couple of minor adjustments 🤷‍♂️

Again, if you want different, gotta DO DIFFERENT.

Happy Humpday Peeps 🐥

I've always been a dog guy, and will get another dog one of these days...
..but cat dadding is a whole different vibe 😎

The dog says of summer are here...

Almost impossible to be outside without a body of water nearby (kudos to all the peeps working in it tho)🥵🥵

I noticed my steps were down almost a 2k steps per day from last month 🚷🚷

Hell even swimming pools get all warm and funky this time of year unless you run your chiller 24/7 or have it hooked up to a freakin glacier 🥶😅

Here's a few ways to keep moving and stay safe in the blistering Texas heat ☀️😎:

💠 Stay Hydrated. And that means more that just drinking water! Your body needs water AND electrolytes to properly hydrate. Add a pinch of pink sea salt to your morning cup of water to give you a huge boost in hydration!

💠 Keep Moving! Just gonna have to do it early for late if you're getting steps outside. I've been doing 15 mins treadmill at lunch and after work to get some extra movement when it's triple digits outside.

💠 Protect your skin. It's our biggest and one of our most vital organs. Its underlying tissues even helps move warm blood away from your core and out to your limbs to help keep you cool!

💠 Listen to your body. We all handle heat differently. Find shade when you can. Take breaks when you need. Use extra time between sets if you can't catch your breath. Be smart and remember you're playing the long game, not get ripped in 30 days 🙄

No matter your fitness level, the heat can make workouts feel much more challenging than usual.

Remember to always listen to your body and make adjustments when necessary.

The most important things are to stay hydrated, keep as cool as you can, and keep moving!

Stay Cool out there friends 😎

Today is 4 years since I decided to stop running from my problems.

The judge had revoked my bond and gave me 36 hours to turn myself in.

I had looked up places that I could run to (Missouri and South Carolina are non-extradition states 😉), but I’m 6’3”, 240 and covered in tattoos, so not just gonna “blend in” anywhere 🙅‍♂️

Besides the judge had assured me Texas rangers would “hunt me down” if I didn’t show back up when I was supposed to 🫠

I had to take an Uber to the county jail because I had drank almost a handle of Tito’s AND Fireball both that day…

Along with 14-20mg of Xanax (i lost count) and the last half of my w**d stash 😵‍💫

The Uber driver thought I was joking until we pulled up at the police station.

I checked in to Grayson county jail at 9:04pm on July 3, 2020.

Little did I know that incarceration would lead me to FREEDOM from the addiction that I had held me captive for the previous 20 years.

Free from the shame and guilt and loneliness that had held me hostage for so long.

The picture on the left is 5 days before I went to prison.

Addicted, Lost, Defeated.

The picture on the right is from 8 days ago.

Happy, Healthy, and Thriving.

There is a way out if you want it bad enough.

It took prison and rock bottom for me to figure it out…

I firmly believe I went through what I did so Others wouldn’t have to.

That my Pain was for a bigger Purpose.

If you’re struggling with addiction or have lost your passion for life, I would love to see if I can help 🙏

There's a light at the end of the tunnel if you know where to look 👀

Be Great Today 👊

What do you do when the 💩 hits the fan??

I had a client come in this afternoon and said their company was being dissolved at the end of the year.

Not sold or transitioning, just closing down shop.

You might expect this news to come with a flood of emotions and panic...
..not this time.

This person has recently taken control of their physical and mental health in such a way that news like this was recieved with a thoughtful smile and the mindset of "well that stinks, what's next?" 🙃🤷‍♂️

When you have done the work and you operate from a place of power and integrity and positivity...
..it gives you peace of mind knowing that you already have control of the ONLY thing you can control, which is yourself!

How would YOU have reacted to the same news today?

Would it ruin your day or week or holiday weekend??

Or would you get your a$$ to the gym and get back to work cause there's nothin you can do about it anyway except Keep Leveling Up?!

I know which one I'm choosing and anyone else on my team that does the work is goin in the same damn direction 🚀🚀🚀

Your problems are Opportunities, not punishment.

Act Accordingly 👊

One of the biggest mistakes I see men make when trying to get back in shape, is that they keep choosing Hard.

They will cut out ALL carbs or go on the latest fad diet...
..go from couch surfing after work to trying to run a 5k and do two weight workouts the next day 🤨

The process is gonna be difficult enough without trying to force yourself to do stuff you don't wanna do and eat food you don't wanna eat 🤷‍♂️

You might do it for a week or two, maybe even a couple months...
..but eventually they quit.

So how bout this:

Try cutting out ONE problem food or drink at a time, and ADDING ONE that you've been avoiding.

If you've been doing no physical activity at all, start with a 10 minute walk and move up from there 🚶‍♂️🚶👆

Find an activity you can get excited about doing instead one that's like pulling teeth 🦷 🙅‍♂️

Especially when you first begin and you're the most likely to be discouraged.

A good rule of thumb, is if you can't see yourself eating or exercising the same way 6 months from now, it's probably NOT gonna work.

Being fit and healthy is something you do for the long haul, not just some 90 day challenge.

What happens after you lose 20 lbs in a 90 day challenge, go back to the same 💩 you were doing that got you where you were in the first place?!

Whether you get healthy and in shape, or are lazy and have to live w obesity and illness, they're both HARD.

One just happens to look a lot better than the other after a few years 🤷‍♂️

Choose your Hard wisely friends 👊

Happy Humpday 🐪

I never said it would be fun or you would feel like it ALL the time...
..I said it would be worth it when you're done.

How would your week look if you repeated today 5 more times?

Monday is the tone setter for the week; if you haven't gotten in yet, you still have time.

Excuses or Progress?

Choose wisely 👊

Today was a struggle, but it's done.

I tell my clients all the time that these are the workouts that matter the most.

The one you almost didn't do.

Anyone can workout and eat well when they feel good and it's convenient.

But how do you show up when you're sore and tired and you don't feel like it and it's hard?

Do you make excuses not to?

Orrrrr

Do you find a reason to get it done?

You can make progress or excuses, but you can't make both 🤷‍♂️

Happy Saturday peeps 🐥

Gotta keep healthy supplies on standby 🙃

Gym bag ✅

Water bottles ✅

Mindset book ✅

Protein snacks ✅

Deep lung device ✅

Notice I have everything I need to not get caught slippin during the day.

Preparation is 🔑 people...

What are some things you keep in your car/truck to help stay on track?! 👇👇👇

You're gonna spend more time with yourself than you will with any other person in your entire lifetime.

Would you rather like and enjoy and respect the person you're going to spend literally every minute of your life with?

Or...

Would you rather spend time with someone you can't stand, don't respect, and can't stand to look in the mirror?

Why is the most painfully obvious answer the one people tend to take the least? 🧐

"Whatever you say... just tell me what to do"...

So the same client that told me that 👆

Also sends me messages like the one I just posted 👇

It's been just a lil over 90 days and this isn't the first POSITIVE wardrobe malfunction we've had.

Wouldn't it be nice that if in 3 short months you were shopping for SMALLER clothes instead of bigger?

She'll also be 1 year sober TOMORROW.

All because she was tired of her own 💩 and decided to do something about it.

Super proud of this individual and this is literally just the beginning.

If your 6 months from now was reflected by the habits you have NOW, how would it look?

6 months from now starts TODAY.

Make it a Great one 🤜🤛

Sunday Funday looks a lil different these days...

I would have had four shots down on the bar top and a Manmosa (add a shot of vodka 😜) in my hand at this time 4 years ago.

Now I have my Nespresso on the bar top and a 30 lb tuxedo cat in my hands...

My how times have changed 😂

The weekend is the ultimate separator...
..from literally any next step you wanna take or next level you wanna reach, it will be Won or Lost on the weekends.

Either by what you do or don't do.

Every action or inaction we take has a consequence, choose your HARD wisely.

Happy Sunday Friends 🤜🤛

You have to make the decision to be different or change every day…

Sometimes your old thoughts will sneak into your head 💭

Former habits will show up from time to time🙅‍♂️

Especially in times of stress, our bodies go back to what we know best.

That’s why I set my intentions DAILY 🎯

✅Faith

✅Family

✅Fitness

✅Finances

I do little things in all 4 areas every single day that add up to HUGE changes in the back end.

Consistent change will make it easier, but you still have to make the decision DAILY to be better.

All that matters is Now and Next.

Happy Friday friends 👊